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Last month, ESPN reported Messi, 35, who spent the last four years of his youth career and his entire senior career with the Catalan club, accepted a five-year contract on Wednesday July 14, just weeks after his previous one expired. contract.
Messi’s previous contract, which was worth more than 500 million euros ($ 594 million) over a four-year period, expired on June 30 at midnight.
The forward was reportedly courted by Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City amid reports of interest in ending his 20-year relationship with Barcelona last summer.
The report came after Barcelona’s 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, as well as a tumultuous relationship with the former club president. Josep Maria Bartomeu, which included Messi calling Bartomeu a “liar” in a September 2020 interview with Goal after Barcelona blocked the striker’s departure.
However, Barcelona’s decision to bring back the former club president Joan laporta in March – who had previously held the post from 2003 to 2010 – would have prompted the captain to return for his 18th senior club season.
Messi was on vacation after leading the Argentina national team to their first Cope America Championship since 1993 and the first in their international career when ESPN reported the contract extension last month.
Messi joined Barcelona academy in 2000 and appeared in a club record of 778 games, surpassing his former teammate Xavi hernandezprevious record from last season.
The Argentina striker has a club record of 672 career goals, leading Barcelona to 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League titles, while also winning a record six Ballon d’Or.
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